Joined: Wed Dec 21 2005, 07:34AM
Location: indiana
Posts: 791
From what I've read the gas tanks are terne-coated, which is tin and lead (back then, anyway) and nowadays is tin and zinc, whereas galvanized coatings are generally all zinc. Same overall issue, though, it's not something to weld on unless the zinc anc lead are gone. When I mentioned radiator shops doing this work, from what I understand they would silver-solder or braze the stuff on. I have a tank with a smallpatch on it, and it was clearly not welded, there is a brassy appearance to 'the weld'.
I did weld a homemade sump on a 65 Dodge tanks some years ago with good success, welded it with fluxcored wire, however the outside of the tank had no coating left on it, quite different from a new tank.
Yatzee - who is the vendor? No harm in divulging their name, and you might save one of us from a headache.
I've always wondered about sealers myself, seems like a lot of faith has to go along with putting something like that in your tank. I've always had great success in just washing them out with a garden hose, if they are rusty I throw some hexnuts in there and shake it around a little with a little water, doing it for a few minutes on each side. Rinse it out thoroughly with a jet nozzle, and let it dry in the sun. I've done that to probably 6-8 tanks over the years, and never had any sediment issues afterward.
Joined: Sun Jan 07 2007, 07:37PM
Location: London,Ontario
Posts: 166
Eastwood Company has a tank sealing kit and they are not the least bit secretive of the possibilities of using this product. Read the reviews. I can say first hand that a local hot rod builder used this in a steel tank and disaster struck after only 3 weeks. He said on inspection, the coating was coming off the walls of the tank in sheets. Pump, lines,filter and sock were coated in what looked like gel. Expensive repair. Don't get me wrong here, Eastwood has some super products that I have purchased in the past but they just sell some products and not necessarily try them. Relying on second or third party manufacturers products can sink a good company faster that the Titanic.
I've used the Eastwood gas tank zinc coating on the outside of my tank and even done my complete exhaust system with this. it is like new after all these years. prep is the key to anything.